| * Thai billionaire launches $6.6bn retail bid * 'Too Swedish' Volvo provides China test * China stocks drop as PMI disappoints * Mexico: time to boost domestic demand * Billionaire Prokhorov Weighs Buying Rusal Debt or Stake Sale * EU lifts Myanmar sanctions * Russia to dip into reserve fund * Brazil education groups in $2.5bn tie-up * Bumi shares halted amid payments concern * Argentine corruption: business as usual? * Poland and the euro: closer Markets: mainly down Thai billionaire launches $6.6bn retail bid
CP All, Thailand's largest convenience store chain and the world's third-largest operator of 7-Eleven stores, has made a 787 baht ($27.34) per share offer for control of cash-and-carry retailer Siam Makro, valuing the Thai-based company at $6.6bn, well above its market value of about $5.7bn.
http://on.ft.com/15D9bL8 'Too Swedish' Volvo provides China test
The Chinese owner of Volvo does not mince words when it comes to something as vital as the interior of his cars. Li Shufu, founder and chairman of Geely, the Chinese private carmaker that bought the struggling Swedish marque in 2010, recently told Swedish television that the inside of a Volvo "feels too Scandinavian".
http://on.ft.com/12DJtUb China stocks drop as PMI disappoints
Chinese stocks fell sharply on Tuesday on the publication of more evidence of an economic slow down. This time it was was HSBC's preliminary PMI index for April, which dropped from 51.6 to 50.5. That still leaves it in positive territory but in the current gloomy atmosphere financial investors are focusing on the negative – and finding it.
http://on.ft.com/127Xnwx Mexico: time to boost domestic demand
If there were ever any proof of the need for structural economic reform in Mexico, you could do worse than to look at February's retail sales, which came in far below expectations.
http://on.ft.com/126JbUy Billionaire Prokhorov Weighs Buying Rusal Debt or Stake Sale
Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov's Onexim Group, a United Co. Rusal shareholder, is looking at buying debt issued by the world's largest aluminum producer to boost its influence over management decisions.
http://bloom.bg/11xHwr9 EU lifts Myanmar sanctions
EU foreign ministers on Monday lifted all but military-related sanctions against Myanmar from the end of the month, amid fresh accusations that the government took part in ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in western Rakhine state.
http://on.ft.com/XSmAKE Russia to dip into reserve fund
President Vladimir Putin has called for Russia to use reserves from its rainy day fund to fund long-term infrastructure investments amid fears of a recession.
http://on.ft.com/YGHERG Brazil education groups in $2.5bn tie-up
Brazil's two largest private tertiary education companies have agreed to combine in a private equity-backed deal that will create the world's biggest for-profit operator by market capitalisation.
http://on.ft.com/12DpuVp Bumi shares halted amid payments concern
Bumi, the Indonesian coal miner founded by Nat Rothschild, has suspended its shares as it tries to account for tens of millions of dollars in payments to local landowners.
http://on.ft.com/11DrGbN Emerging Markets
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